What Would Jesus Do?

I like to imagine what Jesus would do if He literally walked among us today. I suppose He would behave in the same way He did when He walked the streets of Jerusalem and the shores of Galilee. He would still be calling disciples, opening blinded eyes and deaf ears, healing all manner of diseases and raising the dead. I suppose He would still be turning the money changers out of the places of worship, chastising the religious leaders for their selfish goals, and constantly reforming the way we conduct church to ensure that the focus of our worship is the Lord God, Father of all. I suppose He would still take charge of nature by causing the winds to be still and the boisterous waves to be at peace. What a difference He would make if He were literally, physically here with us. He would put the devil in his place by casting out devils and confining them to the habitation of swine which was a sentence to eternal death when their dwelling place was taken away through death. Oh! What a difference He would make.

Oh! But wait! He is here, isn't He? He lives in the heart of every Spirit-filled believer in the person of His Holy Spirit. What a difference He wants to make through you and me. Let us submit ourselves wholly to Him and see Him preach good tidings to the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord.

What a difference the presence of the Holy Spirit makes in this spiritual conflict. He will empower us to take back what the enemy has stolen from us. Satan holds our priceless treasures before us taunting us as one might taunt a caged animal. But we must be determined not to be bound by him. By the power (dunamis - ability/can) of the Holy Spirit (pneuma – the breath of God) we are loosed. Acts 2:2, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” By the power of Almighty God the door of the prison explodes and we are free.

I am reminded of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:26, “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed” KJV. Several of the other translations read that the earthquake was so violent that the doors flew open and the chains were loosed and fell off. The Spirit of God that possesses this mortal body has broken the chains and opened the barred doors. Thank you God we are free!

We are free but free for what purpose? We are free so that we can lead others free. Jesus came to set the captives free. As His Holy Spirit indwells us, we are free to be the visible evidence of the delivering power of God. We are free to be the God living, God breathing, miraculous working possession of God. We belong to Him. There is no power of hell that can defeat a Spirit-filled child of God. We are free in God to restore what the enemy has stolen.

What would Jesus do? He would do the very same thing now that He did then! Let Him do it through YOU!